The Traitor's Daughter
by Youngwriter16
Summary: Mia is forced to marry Harry Potter, and goes with him on the hunt for horcruxes. how will it be different with ron & hermione married, and mia & harry married?   Used to be "Wife"
1. Prologue

**Prologue Revised c**

I froze near the door, staring at the man waiting for me at the other end of the aisle. Technically not even a man,having only turned seventeen the day before. As for me, I wasn't even seventeen yet, I still had four days. And I wasn't having to marry a normal guy, like other girls my age, oh no. I had to marry Harry Potter, the boy who lived. Arthur Weasley was walking me down the aisle, since my father was on the run. He cleared his throat softly, and I continued down the aisle.

"Do you, Amelia Faith Gibbs, take this man, Harry James Potter, to be your magically bound husband?"

I paused for a moment. "You have to marry him," I heard my father's voice say, from a memory. "You either marry him or have your magic taken and your wand snapped. Don't be stupid."

"I do." My voice rang out in the silent hall. I felt all eyes on me, as the same question was asked to Harry Potter. Why did this have to happen now? I thought. Why couldn't it have waited until after the war was over?

Of course, I knew the answer to that. My father had told me. It had all been arranged by the Dark Lord, he said. Voldemort (I had always been taught that fear of a name only increases fear in the thing itself) wanted certain individuals linked to him. Namely, the Order of the Phoenix, and Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry's best friends. Although this had backfired, apparently, as my father came home one night, shortly after the law was announced, close to passing out after having been tortured. The Order had married between them. Even Ron and Hermione had married the day before to avoid having to marry death eaters.

Harry and I had had no choice. Voldemort had arranged it himself, in the hopes that since married couples couldn't spend more than a weekend apart from each other, I would have to turn him in eventually. Little did he know that I had no such plan. Harry and I didn't know each other very well, that was true. Spending six years at Hogwarts together meant that we could recognize each other's faces, but we were usually only in History of Magic together. But there was no way I was going to turn in my husband, even if my father was one of his "main supporters."

And my father understood. His name is Severus Snape - one of Voldemort's inner circle, almost his number one confident, after he had murdered Albus Dumbledore. Despite this, he was not on Voldemort's side. Since I was a baby, not even a year old, he had plotted against him, spying against him for Dumbledore, for the Order of the Phoenix, in the hopes that the Dark Lord would be taken down. Murdering Dumbledore, although that had turned the Order against him, had been planned by my father and Dumbledore himself.

The minister's voice brought me back to the present. "I now pronounce you husband and wife."

I was now Harry Potter's wife. The wife of the Boy Who Lived.

**For the old readers, welcome back. For the new ones, Welcome and I hope you enjoy this! **


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

We sat together silently later that night, avoiding looking at each other. We were outside, at the edge of the woods on the Weasley's property. I finally couldn't stand it anymore. "Listen, Harry-" I started, at the same time he said "Mia-" I looked away. "You first," I said softly.

"Mia, the guys and I are… well, we have something we have to do, so we won't be around. So, if there's another guy you want to marry, I'd-"

"No, I'm not going to let you leave me. It's orders from my dad." I interrupted him, and he looked surprised, then angry. Before he could speak, I held up my hand, knowing he thought my father a murderer. Well, he technically was a murderer, but a good murderer. "Before you accuse me of wanting to hand you over to my father, let me explain." He glared at the mention of my father. "I know about the horcruxes." The sentence came out of my mouth, and a second later, he realized what I had said.

"H…how?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Dumbledore," I whispered, staring around the yard. No one had heard, as we were alone, but I had had to check anyway. "He told both my father and I."

"Dumbledore made a mistake in telling your father some things," Harry said darkly, before I could stop him.

"No, he didn't, and if you'll let me speak, you'll know what I mean," I snapped. "He's a spy." Harry opened his mouth. "No. Let me speak. As hard as it is to believe, he and Dumbledore arranged the murder so Draco Malfoy would not become a killer."

"Why would they do that?" Harry managed to get out when I paused.

"He was dying anyway, Harry," I whispered. "His hand. I'm sure you remember? That was going to happen to him, all of him. It's a very painful way to die, that type of curse."

"How do you know?"

"Because I've seen Voldemort perform it in person," I said, avoiding Harry's eyes. "After the third task in the TriWizard Tournament. He was angry you'd escaped."

"You were there?" He whispered, staring at me.

"Not while you were there. My father brought me two hours later, during a meeting, and I saw it then. It's not pretty, and it's extremely painful. Dumbledore was like a father to my dad, and-"

"Dumbledore begged him not to kill him!" Harry burst out suddenly. "He begged!"

"Yes, Harry, he begged, but for what? He didn't want to kill him. Have you never thought that that was what he was begging for? For his life to be ended by a man he trusts, not by a boy, a child?"

"I never… I never thought of it like that…"

"Exactly. Look, Harry, I didn't want to get into this with you, but now that I have, you should know that this can't go beyond us, Ron, and Hermione. There's more to it, but that can wait so I can tell the three of you together."

"What more could there possibly be?" Harry wondered out loud. I just forced a smile, standing. "You going in?"

"Of course. I don't want to stay out here too long. People might start to wonder what we're going out here alone." To my amazement, he blushed. I started heading towards the Burrow, as Harry scrambled to his feet.

"Wait!" he called. I stopped, waiting for him to catch up. "Why… why are you coming with us? Why does he want you to come with us?"

"So the dark lord can't get his hands on you," I explained softly. "He sometimes has the families of his followers stay for a week or two before the school year starts, and I would have to go. That means you would, as well, since married couples can't spend more than two days apart without their marriage being annulled and the two sent to Azkaban. The only way Voldemort _won't _get his hands on you is if I come with you."

He was silent as we approached the house. "Why did he switch sides?" Harry asked suddenly. "He must have had a reason. And he must have been loyal at some point."

"He was," I told him. "Now hush, I told you I'll tell the three of you the rest _later_." I heard him mutter something as we entered the Weasley's house, but I ignored him and went into the kitchen. "Hello Mrs. Weasley," I said. "Can I help you with anything?"

She turned to look at me, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of mistrust run across her face, before she gave me a smile and turned back to the stove. "Oh no dear. I can handle it myself. You just go and enjoy your wedding day, hm?"

"Mrs. Weasley-"

"Run along dear," She interrupted. I sighed.

"I'm not my father," I informed her, before leaving. The boys were in the living room, so I climbed the stairs and entered the room that would be mine and Harry's for our stay here. But when I turned to the bed, Ginny, the youngest Weasley child, was sitting there glaring.

"You stole him from me," she said coldly, before I could say anything. "He was supposed to be my husband. But you tricked the ministry into letting you marry him before I could."

"I assure you, I don't want him," I told her, just as coldly. "If it were up to me, you'd be welcome to him. But it wasn't me that arranged my marriage, it was Voldemort. You may take it up with him if you wish, although I should tell you that you most likely won't make it out alive. Now this is my room, mine and my husbands. So get out." I watched her put her nose in the air and march out, before sinking onto the bed and screaming my frustration out into my pillow.

**Chapter uno. Hope you enjoyed it, and pretty please leave me reviews. They make me smile :)**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

I was still on the bed when the bedroom door slowly creaked open. "Mia?" I heard Hermione whisper.

"What?" I mumbled, my voice muffled by the pillow.

"Um… Mrs. Weasley's done with supper. She says you can come down, if you want to."

I rolled over and looked at her. "Do you hate me too?" I asked. "For marrying Harry?"

She raised her eyebrows and sat down on the bed next to me. "Why would I hate you? It's the law, you had no choice."

"Tell that to Ginny," I said, sitting up. "She says I stole him from her." She gave me a look. "I'm being serious! Look, just forget I said anything. I'm hungry." I started out of the room.

"Mia, I don't think she really hates you. She's just upset right now. She has to get married before she's seventeen too, you know."

I looked at the girl I'd shared a dorm with for six years, and sighed. "Hermione, no one in this family trusts me. You don't either."

"You're right," She said. "I don't. But you're my best friend's wife now, so you're family to me. Don't worry about what Ginny says. She's upset and jealous."

"Clearly. It's not as if it's my fault, it's snakeman's."

She looked at me for a moment, clearly confused. "Who?"

"Snakeman. You know, big scary man?"

"Vol-you call Voldemort snakeman?" I just nodded.

"My dad started it. He believes that they are going to put a taboo on the actual name, in order to help weed out those who aren't loyal to him. After all, the only ones that call him by that name are the ones that are against him."

"That actually makes-" Ron walked in before she could finish.

"Are you two coming to eat or not?" he asked impatiently. "We're waiting on you, you know," he added, looking at Hermione and completely ignoring me.

"We're coming, Ron," she snapped, standing up. I followed the two of them out of the bedroom, listening to them bicker as we walked.

Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer. "Do you two ever stop fighting?"

"No, actually, they don't," a voice said from the landing. I spun around to see who it was. Arthur Weasley gave me a warm smile. "Hello Mia."

"Hi Mr. Weasley," I said, relieved to find a friendly face in this house, other than Hermione. "We're just going down for dinner."

"Call me Arthur," he said. "After all, you are part of t his family now."

"No she's not!" Ron blurted. "Not when she forced her way in like she… she did," he had started to falter at the glare Hermione sent his way.

I ignored him and Hermione as they started arguing again as we walked into the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley stood at the head of the table, obviously waiting for us. "There you are!"

I sat down in the empty seat next to Harry, as the bowls began to be passed around. "Did you mean it?" he whispered. "What you said earlier?"

"Yes, Harry, I did," I told him quietly. "I meant every word."

Our discussion was cut short when the bowl of mashed potatoes was passed to Harry, and for the rest of dinner, I sat there in silence while those around me talked and laughed about the weddings still to come.

"Mia, would you help me with the dishes?" Mrs. Weasley asked. We had all gone into the living room after we finished eating.

"Um…"

"Please, dear?"

I stared at her, surprised, before rising, and following her into the kitchen. "I wanted to speak with you about how I treated you earlier," she began, flicking her wand. The dishes began to wash themselves, and she sat down at the table. "It was not very welcoming of me."

"Yeah…" I muttered. "What changed your mind?"

She avoided my eyes. "I found a letter."

"A letter?" I asked in disbelief. "A letter made you change your mind and forgive me?"

She sighed, and pulled a piece of parchment out of a pocket. "A letter from Dumbledore," she informed me, sliding it across the table. "It explained some things to me." I just stared at her. "Read it."

_Dear Molly Weasley,  
If you're reading this, then I am dead, and by Severus's hand. You are the only one I can trust with this, the only one that has studied Occulamency and knows how to use it. Other than Mia, who I trust is staying in your home when you get this. _I glanced up at this point, but she gestured for me to continue. _If Severus has indeed killed me, then you must know that there was a reason. I asked him to. This past summer, I ran across a powerful piece of dark magic. It is killing me. I don't have much longer until the spells Severus used to hold it back wear off, and the curse consumes me. Severus is on the light side, Molly. He always has been, and always will be, until the day he dies. _

_On another note, I need to tell you about Mia Gibbs. As you no doubt know, she is Severus's daughter, and she is a key part in defeating Voldemort for good, a key part in ending the war. Please, treat her like you would your own child, she has had a hard childhood, and the law that is going to come into play before September first will make life even harder. You'll see when the time comes. _

_Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I suspect Mia will be leaving before the school year begins, on a quest that I asked them to go on. Let them-it is necessary. I assure you they will not be alone, Severus has agreed to help them in any way he can, while keeping Voldemort fooled on his allegiance. _

_Sincerely, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. _

I swallowed hard, looking up at the Weasley monarch. "How did you get this? Dumbledore's been dead for two months now."

"When I was cooking dinner… it was a patronus. A doe. She appeared with that in her mouth."

"A doe?" She nodded. "It was my father's patronus, then. You can't say anything," I whispered. "If this gets into the wrong hands, it could mean my father's death. My death. The end of everything."

"I won't," she assured me. "I won't."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_Meet me near the pond as soon as you get this. Make sure you are alone. STS_

I stared at the note that had appeared beside my empty plate, before looking around to make sure no one else had seen. They were too busy hurrying around the kitchen, preparing for the minister of magic's visit that would occur later that day. "Um, Molly?" She looked up at me. "Is it alright if I go outside? It's too crowded in here and I'd really like to be alone to… to gather my thoughts."

She nodded her consent, and I rose from the table and slipping out the kitchen door. Once I knew I was out of sight of the Weasleys, I broke into a run.

Three days had passed since the wedding. Three long days filled with mistrust from all sides. The only people that were on my side were Harry, Molly, and Arthur. They were the only ones that trusted me, and only because they knew the truth.

He was waiting for me near the pond. "What are you doing here?" I demanded, after being wrapped in a hug. "If they catch you-"

"They won't," my father informed me. "If any of them come over this way, they'll remember they have something else to do."

"Don't you realize how dangerous this is?" I snapped. "Harry and Molly know that you're innocent, but the other Weasleys don't. And if they find you here, they might-"

"My dear, I am hardly innocent," he said dryly, interrupting. "I cast the spell, didn't I?"

"That doesn't mean anything," I informed him. Then I sighed. "Why are you here?" I asked again.

"Am I not allowed to come see my only daughter?"

"Not when nearly the entire wizarding world is on a hunt for you!" There was silence for a moment. "Dad, you need to leave. I'll owl you when it's safe, I promise I will. But for now, you _have to go_."

He was gone a moment later, and as I made my way back to the Burrow, my mind whirled with questions. What could have possessed him to enter the lion's den, per se, just to _see me? _He had to have had another reason, but what it could be, I had no idea.

I slipped through the back door, and was immediately greeted by Harry. He just looked at me for a moment, then he went up the stairs. I heard him greet Hermione and Ron. I, however, stayed standing there, for a few minutes, before shaking my head and heading up to my bedroom. Er, well, _our_ bedroom.

Sinking on the bed, I wasn't alone for more than a minute, before the door burst open and the trio came in, arguing about something. I sat up, calmly waiting for them to notice me. When they did, they froze.

"Hello." They stayed silent. "Is there something you don't wish for me to know?" Still silence, as they glanced at each other. I sighed, starting to rise. "I'll just go then."

"Erm, you don't have to," Hermione said. "We were... we were talking about-" she looked over at Harry and Ron for help, but they were as stuck as she was. "Er..."

I stood. "Keep your secrets. But I'm coming with you on the hunt for horcruxes. I've already told you that, Harry. And I meant it. Believe me, you will not get far without me."

"You think you're all that, do you?" Ron snapped. "Believe me, we can find all them without you. We don't need a traitor bitch."

"No you won't, and I don't 'think I'm all that' at all. Because in case you've forgotten, married spouses are just not allowed to spend that much time apart. It's the law. We break it, we wind up in Azkaban. And I assure you, they will kill Harry the moment he arrives." He stared at me open mouthed, and I swept out of the room.

* * *

_I heard the crash that signaled my dad's return from a death eater meeting from where I was sitting in his private library, and I ran out into the living room. He laid in front of the fireplace, blood seeping out of his wounds. _

_I whipped out my wand and performed the healing spells I knew, before floo-calling for Madame Pomfrey. I hated the nights he had his meetings, because I never knew if he would return from them or not. _

"Mia, are you alright?" Harry's voice snapped me out of my daze, and I looked over at him in confusion. "Well? What do you think?"

"What do I think about what?" I asked. "I'm sorry. I tend to... zone out."

Hermione sighed. "What do you think about leaving after Bill's wedding? It's tomorrow night. It was going to be a few days ago, but..." she paused. "Well, what do you think?"

I shrugged. "I think it's as good as any day," I told her. "And really, the sooner we leave, the better."

**Here ya go. The next chapter of this story, FINALLY. lol. Like always, reviews shall make me smile :)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Ron, Hermione, Harry, and I made our way across the dance floor, to where a girl I recognized to be Luna Lovegood was sitting.

"All right if we join you?" Ron asked.

"Oh yes," the blond girl said, smiling. "Daddy's just gone to give Bill and Fleur our present."

"What is it, a lifetime's supply of Gurdyroots?" Ron asked. I saw Harry wince, and held back a snort, knowing Hermione had kicked him underneath the table, aiming for Ron.

"No, actually," Luna stated, quite calmly. "It's a-"

"Never mind, Luna," Hermione said quickly. I rolled my eyes, ignoring them, even when Viktor Krum came over and sat down with us. I only started paying attention when something caught my ears.

"Grindelwald?" I asked.

"That is his sign," Krum repeated. "Who are you?"

"Oh… I'm…" I looked over at Harry. What was the name they had come up with? "I'm Barney's wife," I said, relieved when it came to me. "What was this about Grindelwald?"

"That man, that… Lovegood… He is wearing the sign of Grindelwald," Krum said, narrowing his eyes at Luna's father.

I kept my mouth shut. I knew that that wasn't Grindelwald's sign, but I thought it best if I didn't mention that to Krum, who seemed angered by it. I chose to ignore the two men again, glazing around at the dancing people, until once more, something they said caught my attention.

"Gregorovitch!" Harry said loudly, making me jump and stare at him. The wand maker? What did that have to do with anything?

"What about him?"Krum asked, looking suspicious.

"He's a wand maker!"

"Yes, he is, _Barney,_" I said. He looked at me in surprise for a moment, before turning back to Krum.

"He made your wand! That's why I thought – Quidditch – "

I stared at my husband. What the hell was he going on about?

"How do you know Gregorovitch made my wand?" Krum asked.

"I… I read it somewhere, I think," Harry said. "In a – a fan magazine." I tried to keep from snorting at the obvious lie, but Krum seemed to believe it. "So… er… where is Gregorovitch these days?"

"He retired," I answered. "Several years ago, in fact."

"Yes," Krum said. "I was one of the last to purchase a wand from him. They are the best – although, I know, of course, how you Britons set much store by Ollivander."

Harry became quiet, and I continued to stare at him. What did Gregorovitch have to do with anything? Unless….

I recalled something my father had said, about what had happened the night that Harry had been taken from the muggles he lived with. Something had happened with his wand, breaking the wand Malfoy had lent Voldemort.

Krum left soon after that, and I turned to Harry. "What was that about?" I asked him, even though I was sure I knew the answer.

"I think," he told me quietly, "that Voldemort is looking for a wandmaker. He's already got Ollivander, but he wasn't happy with what he told him, so-"

"Harry," I whispered, interrupting him as an older man made his way over to us. He was stumbling, and I knew he was drunk.

"You..." he mumbled. "My son?"

This time, I didn't hold back the snort as Harry tried to tell him that no, he wasn't the man's son. After a few minutes, still laughing, I grabbed his hand. "Sorry sir," I told the man. "But I'd like to spend some time with my husband, if you don't mind." We raced away, both of us laughing now.

"Thanks," he managed to say, gasping for breath. "You're my hero!"

I grinned. "You're very welcome, my good sir!"

"Hey, I know him!" he whispered. I turned, seeing an older man. "Come on." We approached him. "May my wife and I sit down?" he asked politely.

"Of course, of course," the man said in a high pitched voice.

Harry leaned in. "Mr. Doge, I'm Harry Potter." Doge? How did I know that name? Then, what Harry had told him hit me, and I gasped. What was he doing?

"My dear boy! Arthur told me you were here, disguised... I am so glad, so honored!"

Doge! Of course! I had seen the obituary he had written for Dumbledore in the paper, and my father had mentioned him while talking about the Order of the Phoenix.

I stopped paying attention, having no interest in the conversation about Dumbledore or Rita Skeeter. I knew enough about both subjects from my parents.

"Bathilda Bagshot lives in Godric's Hollow?" Harry's surprise brought me back in to the conversation.

"Oh yes, she's been there forever!" An older woman, that I hadn't notice come over, said. "The Dumbledores moved there after Percival was imprisoned, and she was their neighbor."

"The Dumbledores lived in Godric's Hollow?"

"Yes Barry- _Barry? _"That's what I just said."

Hermione came over to us at that point. "I simply can't dance anymore," she panted. "Ron's gone looking for more butterbeers. It's a bit odd, I've just seen Viktor storming away from Luna's father, it looked like they'd been arguing-" Gee, what about? "Harry, are you okay?"

He didn't get a chance to answer, as a patronus floated through the canopy over the dance floor. Everyone froze, as the mouth opened wide, and a voice came out – "The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

**Here's the next chapter. As you can tell, I took some things directly from the book.**

**I'm on Spring Break! You have NO idea how stressful this past week was for me, with exams, essays, projects, physical therapy... I didn't have much free time.**

**I am having a Harry Potter Movie Marathon. I'm gonna watch all six movies, in a row, something I haven't managed to do since the 6th one came out, and something I'm gonna do once again when part one, AND part two of the 7th come out.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

I pulled out my wand at once, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry and Hermione do the same thing. For a moment, there was complete silence, and then, someone screamed. People were running in all directions. I stood up on one of the chairs, looking for Ron. "I see Ron!" I called to the other two. I waved for him to come over to where we were, as figures in dark cloaks and masks apparated in. He had one of Hermione's hands, I had the other, and Harry had _my _other hand.

I squeezed my eyes shut when I felt us apparating, only opening them when I heard Ron speak. "Where are we?"

"Tottenham Court Road," Hermione said. "Walk, just walk, we need to find somewhere to change."

We hurried along the dark street. I watched as a group of pub-goers stared at us as we passed. After all, Harry and Ron were wearing their dress robes still. Hermione and I were in our dresses, which wasn't as abnormal.

"Hermione, we haven't got anything to change in to," Ron said. I raised my eyebrows. Hermione hadn't told them?

"Why didn't I make sure I had the Invisibility Cloak with me?" Harry mumbled. I rolled my eyes. Did they really think Hermione was that stupid? "All last year I kept it on me, and-"

"It's okay, I've got the Cloak, I've got clothes for all of us," Hermione interrupted. "Just try and act naturally until- this will do."

We had reached a side street, and Hermione led us into the shelter of a shadowy alleyway.

Harry frowned at Hermione as she pulled out jeans, sweatshirts, and the Invisibility Cloak out of her beaded handbag.

"How the ruddy hell?" I tried not to smirk at Ron's obvious surprise.

"Undetectable Extension Charm," Hermione said, as Ron began to change. She shook the bag, and I heard something fall. "Oh damn, that was the books. And I had them all stacked by subject... Oh well... Harry, you take the Invisibility Cloak."

"When did you do all this?" Harry asked.

As Hermione explained, I slipped out of my dress and put on the jeans and sweatshirt. Harry threw the invisibility cloak on, vanishing from sight.

"The others... everyone at the wedding..." Harry said.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," I told him, speaking for the first time since our escape. "From what I saw, a lot of the Order was there, they'll protect the ones that need it."

"She's right," Ron said. I looked at him in surprise.

"Yeah." Harry said.

"Come on, I think we ought to keep moving," Hermione told us. We moved up the side street and onto the main road again. A group of men on the opposite side were singing and weaving across the pavement. I rolled my eyes at their drunkenness.

"Hermione, I'm curious. What made you pick this place?" I asked her.

"No idea. It just popped into my head. But I'm sure we'll be safer in the muggle world. It's not like they'll expect us to be here." One of the drunk men shouted something that I couldn't quite hear, but clearly Ron and Hermione did, with her grabbing Ron's arm as he started across the street. "Let's sit down somewhere," she said. "Look, this will do. In here."

We took a seat. As they talked, I kept looking around, making sure we were alone. "Guys," I whispered finally, after Harry said Voldemort had taken over the ministry. "Don't say his name. I'm not afraid," I added, looking at a smirking Ron. "I told Hermione this before. He might put a taboo on the name." I grew silent as a pair of workmen entered the cafe. I found myself staring at them. "Shit..."

"What?" Hermione whispered, looking over at them.

"I recognize those two. It's Dolohov and Rowle. They're death eaters."

"How do you know?" Ron asked. I just stared at him. "Oh... right..."

Before I could blink, they had their wands out. "Ron, move!" I shouted. Rowle's spell shattered the tiled wall where, just a moment before, Ron's head had been. He stared at it in horror for a moment.

"Stupify!" Harry cried. Rowle slumped sideways. Dolohov shot a spell at Ron; we watched as black ropes bound him from head to foot. The waitress screamed and ran for the door, but Harry, trying to hit Dolohov, hit her instead. I pointed my wand at Dolohov, and a moment later, he too was lying unconscious on the ground. I then pointed my wand at Ron, and the ropes broke away.

"Thanks," he muttered, standing up.

"How did they find us?" Hermione demanded of me. "Did you tip them off?"

I stared at her. "Really, Hermione?" I hissed. "Why the hell would I tip them off, then stun them? Huh?" She sighed. "I told you that he might be putting a taboo on the name. I'll bet you _that's _how we were found."

As the others decided what to do, I went over to the window, staring out. When the cafe was back to how it had been before, and the memories modified, I turned back to them.

"Where are we going to go?" I asked.

"Grimmauld Place," Harry said. The other two gaped.

"Don't be silly, Harry. Snape can get in there," Hermione said.

I glared at her. "Hermione, my father may be able to get in there, but he won't do anything to harm us," I informed her. "I assure you."

And so we went to the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

**There ya go, the next chapter. I really have nothing to do, so I thought I'd write the next chapter and put it up. Remember, reviews make me smile! **


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**This was written by Sarah Liz B, so all credit goes to her! **

My father had sometimes told me of his trips to Number 12 Grimmauld Place. He never told me in details what went on there, but I suspected this was for my own safety, as he'd never before had reason to withhold any information from me.

As the Unplottable house emerged between houses 11 and 13 Grimmauld Place, I checked to ensure nobody was on the sidewalk while Harry, Ron and Hermione speculated on the traps set in the house. I sighed impatiently. I knew that, besides being the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, this house belonged to the late Sirius Black. I scowled at the name, remembering stories of my father's childhood. That aside, Black was an ancient family. Surely they kept a house elf or two around to open the door? What were those three waiting for?

I marched past the three and right up to the door. Before the protests of my companions (it was still rather difficult to think of them as my husband and his friends) registered in my mind, I'd pressed the doorbell.

What a mistake.

Although muffled considerably by the walls of the house, loud shrieking immediately erupted from within. Startled, I jumped away from the door.

"FILTHY MUDBLOOD SCUM, BLOOD TRAITORS, DIRTYING THE HOUSE OF BLACK!"

"Oh no…" Harry groaned, as Ron glared at me.

"What the—" I started, as the door slowly creaked open. A rather ugly house elf with a scowl on his face appeared from behind the door. The piercing shrieks grew louder.

"Hello, Kreacher," Hermione said politely, over the painfully loud din. "May we come in, please?"

"FILTH! SCUM! A STAIN ON THE NOBLE CREST OF BLACK!"

Kreacher narrowed his beady eyes. Catching Harry's stern look, he opened the door to admit us, seemingly reluctant and muttering under his breath.

"Welcome back, Master Potter." The tone in Kreacher's voice didn't seem very welcoming. "Miss Granger and Mister Weasley are here also, Kreacher sees—"

"UNGRATEFUL WENCHES! DIRTY BLOODY TRAITORS!"

"Kreacher, just go shut Walburga up, would you?" Harry yelled. Kreacher seemed to scowl more.

"Filth, living in Mistress Black's house…" Kreacher began to mutter to himself. Shortly after, the piercing shrieks stopped.

"What is that all about?" I asked. Ron glared at me.

"You pressed the doorbell! You woke her up! Did you do that to alert any nearby Death Eaters that we're here?" he snapped accusingly. I was beginning to have enough of the Death Eater jabs.

"How was I supposed to—"

"Mia, Ron, quiet!" Hermione shouted. We both stopped, glaring at each other. She muttered a few spells in the entrance hallway. Nothing happened. "No traps?" she said quietly to herself. "I would have thought that Dumbledore…" She tentatively took a step forward. "Guys, I think it's safe," she said.

We wandered through the house, me following Harry, Ron and Hermione. It was late at night now, and as we wandered into what looked like the kitchen, I realized I was hungry. We all quickly realized that none of us could really cook more than a boiled egg, except, of course, for Hermione.

"No, 'Mione, let Kreacher do it," Ron said, "He's a house elf, it's what he's supposedto do."

"It wouldn't be fair," Hermione started. "House elves—"

"KREACHER!"

The house elf appeared, scowling again at Harry's command.

"What is it the Master wishes?"

"Can you please make us something to eat?" Harry asked, in a soft but not particularly kind tone. I guessed he was trying to appease Hermione as much as he could: I'd heard about S.P.E.W. Kreacher scowled and nodded. "You'd do well to treat Ron, Hermione and Mia well, too, Kreacher," Harry warned him.

Kreacher appeared to notice me for the first time. "Does Master have a new friend?"

"Yes, she is a f—" He stopped for a moment, seeming to take something in. "Kreacher, this is my wife." I started at this declaration. Although it was true, it had never really registered to me. "This is Mia Potter."

By the looks of things, Hermione and Ron hadn't really realized I was Mrs. Potter either. Kreacher bowed. "Mistress Potter, Mister Weasley and Miss Granger are all—"

" Mrs. Weasley now, Kreacher," Hermione said softly. Perhaps Harry introducing me as Mia Potter had reminded her she was also married. Kreacher gave her a slight bow in recognition. The four of us left for the living room, leaving Kreacher to resume his muttering.

"Blood traitors marrying Mudbloods… If Kreacher's Mistress knew…!"

I followed my husbandand his friends towards the living room. I noticed along one wall a small curtain, which was evidently covering a framed picture of some sort. A small plaque read 'Walburga Black'. I made a mental note to ask Harry about it later.

The three of them were talking about something when I entered the room.

"Harry's right, Ron, it'll do us no good in worrying," I heard Hermione say.

"But the Ministry—"

"Hello," I said, announcing my entrance while simultaneously cutting off Ron, who looked annoyed that I'd done so. Two birds with one stone. Harry greeted me and Hermione gave me a small smile. Ron glared so I smirked back at him. "I told you that you shouldn't worry about your family. I'm pretty sure they're capable of defending themselves."

"Like you'd care," Ron muttered. "You probably organized the whole thing."

" I'm the one who found you," I snarled, " I'm the reason you're here now. Stop with the constant berating. In case you haven't realized, Snakeman isn't waiting on our doorstep. I helped you to fight Dolohov and Rowle. Do I need to remind you why I'm even here?" Ron was silent. I continued my rage. "I'm here so that Snakeman doesn't get Harry. The moment that Harry and I spend more than 48 hours apart, he knows instantly where Harry is. He's not stupid: he knows that you and Mrs. Weasley—" I spat out the reference to Hermione "—will be wherever Harry is. Then he gets the three of you."

Ron opened his mouth, but I cut him off again.

"Before I married Harry my name was Gibbs. Mia Gibbs , not Snape. Think of my father whatever you will, but don't assume that I'm Snakeman's little schoolgirl informant. I'm better than that." I turned to Harry. "I know a little of the Black history. Slytherin since the beginning of time, except for yourgodfather. He, as much as he was a git, was able to break away from his family's reputation of having a pureblood mania. Don't I deserve that same consideration?"

At this moment Kreacher chose to appear with a plate of sandwiches. I took two and sat in a chair as far away from the stunned trio as I possibly could. The bread was stale, the lettuce warm and wilting and the main filling, which I thought was some form of chicken, was pasty. Time passed in silence, a whisper occasionally between Harry, Ron and Hermione. After a while, I got up. The silence was deafening and I just wanted to sleep.

"Goodnight," I said curtly to the three. I left to go upstairs and find an empty bedroom. I heard someone get up and follow me. Quickening my pace, I nearly took the stairs two at a time.

"Stop!" Hermione's plea made me turn around on the landing. "You're right," she continued, "You do deserve that same consideration. I forgot that you'd been made to marry Harry and my nerves at Bill and Fleur's wedding almost got the better of me. I'd like to apologize."

I looked at her and turned around. "Fine," I said through gritted teeth. Hermione stepped up next to me. "Have you ever considered the reason why we never encountered any traps when we entered the house?" she asked me.

"No," I replied. "Why?" We turned to enter a bedroom just off to our right.

"I think it was because you rang the doorbell," Hermione said, slowly. "It must have disarmed the traps."

"That makes sense," I said. "Those who know the house wouldn't ring the doorbell because of the shrieking, and a Death Eater isn't likely to be polite and wait for Kreacher to open the door." I gave Hermione a small smile as we stepped onto the threshold of the bedroom.

And both of us were blasted onto our backs.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The sounds of Harry and Ron's footsteps could be heard thundering up the stairs.

"What happened?" they both shouted at once. I growled as I got up. Hermione winced as she did so.

"Something is stopping us from entering the room," I hissed. "A ward of some sort, perhaps."

"KREACHER!" The house elf appeared. Was that scowl permanently etched onto his face? "Hermione, Mia," Harry continued. "Try to go into the bedroom again." We did so and were both blasted back once more. "Kreacher, why is this?"

"Harry," Hermione started, "What makes you think that Kreacherhas anything to do with—"

"It is a Marriage Ward, Master Potter," Kreacher stated.

"A what?" We all stared at Kreacher as if he'd grown a ponytail.

"A Marriage Ward. It is to ensure that a married couple may only share a room with each other. It is as old as the noble house of Black."

We all stared at each other. Ron nodded slowly. Of course he'd be okay with this. His wife was his best friend. It didn't really matter if they shared a bedroom. Harry and I, however…

"So… I have to share a room with Harry?" I asked Kreacher.

"A bed, Mistress Potter."

"A bed?" I squeaked.

"Yes, Mistress Potter. The Black family always wished to ensure fidelity in marriage."

Ron and Hermione tried to enter the room that had rejected Hermione and me together. Sure enough, they were allowed in. Harry had already entered another room. 'Sirius Black' was what the plaque on the door said. Kreacher disappeared, scowling as much as he had before.

I entered the room I was supposed to share with Harry and swallowed. What on Earth was in store for me now?


	8. Chapter 7

**I can't tell you how surprised I was when I sat down to start writing and this entire chapter came out! Hope you enjoy it!**

**Chapter Seven**

_I was reading by the fireplace when it turned green and my father fell out, landing face down on the carpet. My book fell from my hand as I dropped to my knees beside him. "Dad!"I turned him around, to see blood dripping down his face from a deep gash in his forehead. He was growing paler with every second that passed. "I'm going to get Madame Pomfrey."_

_"No!" he whispered fiercely, grabbing my wrist. "You heal me. She won't know the right spell."_

_"Sectumsempra?" I asked. He gave a nod. With a wave of my wand, the bleeding stopped, and he struggled to sit up, weak from the blood loss. "What happened?"_

_"The Dark Lord was… less than pleased with Draco's progress in killing Albus." He paused. "It is becoming more and more likely that I will be the one forced to kill him."_

_"Then why did the dark lord do this?"_

_"Because I suggested that we wait, just a bit longer, before-" a knock sounded on the door. With another wave of my wand, the dried blood vanished, and my father struggled towards the door. _

_"I'll get it, you sit down," I told him, before going over to open it. Dumbledore stood there, his hands folded behind his back. "Yes sir?"_

_"Is Severus back from the meeting yet? I wished to speak with him," the old man informed me. I glanced towards where my dad had collapsed into a chair. His eyes were closed. I stepped out of the room and closed the door behind me. _

_"Sir, can this wait until morning?" I asked softly. "He's exhausted."_

_The headmaster looked alarmed. "Did something happen?"_

_Suddenly, anger rose in me. "The same as usual," I snapped. "He was just tortured because you insist he spy for you!" I sighed. "He's not exactly young anymore, Professor. Perhaps it's time you found yourself a new spy, and stopped asking the impossible out of him."_

_"Mia, I don't like it either. But it must be done, if we are to have any hope in killing Voldemort, once and for all."_

_"What's going to happen once he kills you?" I asked quietly. "Because, let's face it, Draco Malfoy doesn't have the nerve to. The entire Order's going to turn on him. How much help will he be then? What if they cross paths, and they kill him?"_

_"The Order wouldn't do that," Dumbledore said, a bit smugly, might I add._

_"If they think he's a traitor they would. Half of them already don't trust him. With your death, _nobody_ in the Order will."_

_"I trust that they won't murder him. Goodnight, Miss Gibbs," Dumbledore said, walking away. Defeated, I sank to the floor, tears running down my face. _

When I woke up the next morning, Harry's arm was wrapped around my waist. Slowly, so not to wake him, I moved his arm and got out of bed. A glance out the hallway window told me it was still dark out. With a sigh, I made my way into the kitchen, and sat down in a chair, placing my head in my hands.

The night that I begged Dumbledore to find another spy was three days before the headmaster's death. I wondered what would have happened if Malfoy had managed to kill him. How much would be different? Surely the Order would still trust my father, and he'd be able to help them out in the open, instead of in secret.

"Mistress Potter?" the voice came from the door. "Are you alright?"

"Kreacher," I said, wiping away a stray tear. "I'm fine."

The house elf stepped further into the room. "Kreacher knows you," he said. "You is Mistress Bellatrix's niece, you is."

"My mother is her husband's sister, Kreacher. There's no blood between us. None at all." A moment's silence. "Kreacher, you can't mention that to Harry."

"Mention what to Harry?" I jumped as Ron entered the room. "Keeping secrets, are you?"

"Ron, this isn't what it looks like. It isn't something that you need to know."

"What?" I groaned as Harry and Hermione came in. Really? It was still before dawn, what were they doing awake?

"Your wife is keeping something from us," Ron informed them. "But it's something that the stupid house elf knows."

"Kreacher isn't stupid!" Hermione snapped.

"Ron, Hermione, stop," Harry said. "That isn't the issue." The three of them turned to face me. "Are you going to explain yourself?"

I crossed my arms. "I shouldn't have to," I hissed. "I know for a fact that there are things that you haven't told me!"

"The things we haven't told you have nothing to do with the war!" Ron growled.

"And how do you know this does?" They glanced at each other, and I sighed. "Fine. Bellatrix Lastrange is my aunt." They looked at me in growing horror. "My mother's brother is Bella's husband. I cut all ties with that family after the Longbottoms were sent to St. Mungos." Silence filled the room. "In my eyes, they're not family. That's why I didn't tell you."

Ron turned on his heel and left the room. I looked at Harry and Hermione. "Guys, she's not even blood related."

"You still should have told us," Harry said, following Ron out , leaving me look helplessly at Hermione.

"I understand why you didn't tell us," she said softly. "It's not easy, is it? Having to deal with family that everyone mistrusts, so much so that they mistrust you as well."

"No," I sighed. "It's not. I'm nothing like Bellatrix Lastrange, Hermione. I hate that family for what they chose to do with their lives." We sat in silence for a while. "I'm scared," I whispered finally. "My mom and dad are all I have left. I've never been close to my mother, she was always too involved with pure blood mania. I only see her when I have to. But I was always close to my dad." She placed a gentle hand on my arm. "That's what I fear most, you know. Losing my dad. I've watched him serving Snakeman since I was fourteen. I've seen him come home broken after being tortured for hours." My voice was shaking. "And I've been a witness to the torture. You're lucky. I've watched him be under the cruciatus curse repeatedly for three hours, after which they tortured him the muggle way."

"He'll be free after the war. We all will."

I shook my head. "No we won't, Hermione. Even if we all make it out whole, which I doubt, the memories will always be there. I don't think I'll ever forget the night when Cedric Diggory appeared out of that maze dead, with Harry saying Snakeman was back. Right after that, my dad took me aside. He told me about the last war, how he had fought on Dumbledore's side in secret, how he was planning on spying again." I was vaguely aware of Harry entering the room once more. This was the first time I had ever voiced any of this. "He promised me that day that if the dark lord wanted me to join him, he was going to send me to America. And ever since, I've tried to be there when he was to come home from a death eater meeting. He always came home bleeding. Always." My voice broke, and I found myself crying. Harry pulled me into a hug, and we sat there like that for a long time.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

After I had calmed down, and Ron had been persuaded to come back into the kitchen, we sat down on the table. "Our first step is to figure out what the horcruxes are. Then we need to-"

Ron interrupted. "Who says you're in charge?" he snapped. "You're nothing but a traitor bitch. Nobody wants you here."

"Ron, until she does something to betray us, she's not a traitor," Harry said. "And she's right." He looked at me. "Continue, please."

"After we figure that out, we need to think of places where Snakeman would have hid them. Those would be places that he felt… special… in. Hogwarts, perhaps."

Harry pulled something out of his pocket and slid it across the table. "We found one. Or, what we thought was one," he told me. "Dumbledore and I did. This came with it."

To the dark lord- I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more.

RAB

"Why didn't you mention this before?" I whispered, tracing my fingers over the initials. "Harry, you have no idea how important this is! This is the key to defeating Snakeman!"

"How do you know?" Ron demanded.

"Because RAB has to be a death eater. Only his death eaters call him the dark lord. Surely you know that?" The red head muttered something. "And there's only one that I can think of whose initials are RAB. He vanished years and years ago, though. Snakeman always assumed that aurors got to him, but this would make more sense."

"Who?" Hermione asked.

"Regulus Arcturus Black."

"Regulus… Sirius's brother?" Harry whispered, staring at me. "He was a death eater, Sirius told me. He joined when he was really young, but got cold feet. Sirius said that they killed him, though."

I shook my head, studying the locket and the note in turn. "Kreacher might know something," I said, looking back up at Harry and the others. "He's been the Black house elf since your godfather began at Hogwarts."

"Kreacher!" Harry called, and the house elf appeared in the room. "There's something we need to ask you."

"Yes, Master Harry?" Kreacher mumbled. Harry looked over at me, and I held up the locket.

"Does this look familiar, Kreacher?" I asked softly. His eyes widened, and he stared at it.

"Where did Mistress Mia get that?" he asked in a hoarse voice. "That belonged to Master Regulus, that did."

"He had another one just like it, didn't he?" Harry pressed. The house elf closed his mouth, refusing to speak.

"Kreacher," Hermione said gently. "We need to know. There was a locket here, two years ago, that we threw out. Did you take it back?"

There was silence for a moment. "Yes," Kreacher said finally.

My heart leaped. A horcrux! "Where is it? Do you still have it?" I asked.

"Gone."

"What?" I whispered.

"Gone?" Harry repeated, staring at the house elf. "What do you mean, it's gone?"

Kreacher cringed, backing away from Harry's anger. "Mundungus Fletcher stole it all."

And that's when it all came out: how Voldemort had needed an elf, how Regulus offered Kreacher. How the poor house elf had been forced to go to a cave, how he had been told to come home, and so he did. Kreacher told us how Regulus had died – helping to save the wizarding world from Voldemort.

After the story, the four of us sat there, staring at the house elf. Harry finally broke the silence.

"Kreacher, I am going to ask you to do something," He said. "I want you to find Mundungus Fletcher. We need to find out where the locket – where Master Regulus's locket is. It's really important."

"Find Mundungus Fletcher?" Kreacher croaked.

Harry nodded. "And bring him here. Can you do that for us?" Kreacher nodded, and Harry handed the locket to him. "I'd like you to have this," he said. "This belonged to Regulus and I'm sure he'd want you to have it as a token of gratitude for what you-"

It took us nearly an hour to calm down Kreacher after that. When we finally did, he bid us farewell, and disapparated.

A few days later, I spotted two cloaked men standing outside. "Death eaters," Ron muttered. "Think they know we're in here?"

"I don't think so," Hermione said. "Wouldn't they have sent Snape in after us?"

I stood up from where I had been sitting. "Hermione-"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"I was going to say that they're most likely waiting to see if we've turned up. They know that Harry owns this house." With that, I left the room.

The next day, we had a visitor. We were in the drawing room, when Ron and Hermione had started bickering about Ron having kept turning the lights on and off. Hermione, who was trying to read, had gotten mad, so Harry and I had left.

We were on our way down to the kitchen. Halfway down the hall, we heard a tap on the front door, then metallic clocks and the grinding of a chain. Harry and I glanced at each other, and, without a word, pulled our wands out and silently moved into the shadows.

When the dust-Dumbledore had vanished, Harry and I pointed our wands into the cloud of gray. "Don't move!" he shouted.

"Hold your fire, it's me, Remus!"

"Show yourself!" Harry called, after Hermione and Ron lowered their wands.

"I am Remus John Lupin," he began, and listed things about him.

The other three informed him about the death eaters outside, and told him about Tottenham Court Road. At that, the werewolf glanced over at me.

"Are you sure that you weren't given away?" he asked quietly.

I narrowed my eyes. "I assure you, Lupin, I am no more on Snakeman's side than you are," I said. "Excuse me." And I swept out of the room.

**I've been so busy lately it's not even funny. It's the end of the year, so I have exams. But just two more days and it's summer, so I might be able to post more then.**

**Also, prayers for my friend Zach, who attempted to commit suicide, and hasn't woken up yet. (UPDATE two years later.. He did wake up, but he's severely brain damaged. He's not the same, and will never be the same..)**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please leave a review.**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

For some reason, whenever the others were questioning my loyalties, I found myself upstairs, in the attic. And so, when Lupin thought that I had let the death eaters know where we were that day, I went up there. As I wondered around the dusty room for the next hour, my thoughts went to my mother. I hadn't heard from her since my wedding, when she had told me to go ahead with it. She had informed me that she was going to head to America, and I hoped she had made it.

I sank into one of the armchairs and closed my eyes, just as the door opened and Hermione entered. "Kreacher's returned," she told me. "And he has Mundungus."I stood up, and looked at her. Her eyes were red, like she had been crying.

"What happened?"

She just shook her head. "Are you coming downstairs?"

I sighed. "Yeah." I followed her out of the attic and into the kitchen.

"It's not about the goblets either, although you're getting warmer," I heard Harry say as we entered. "Shut up and listen."

Mundungus eyes grew wide when he saw me come in. "What's _she_ doing here?"

"_She_ happens to be Harry's wife, mate, and she deserves to be here," Ron snapped.

Harry cleared his throat. "When you cleaned out this house of anything valuable," Harry began.

"Sirius never cared about any of the junk – "

Kreacher rushed at Fletcher and began to hit him on the head with a saucepan.

"Call him off!"

"Kreacher, stop!" Harry and I cried at the same time.

"Perhaps just one more, Master and Mistress, for luck?"

Ron and I laughed. "We need him conscious, Kreacher, but if he needs persuading you can do the honors," Harry told him.

Kreacher backed away, still glaring at Fletcher.

"When you stripped this house of all the valuables you could find, you took a bunch of stuff from the kitchen cupboard. There was a locket there. What did you do with it?"

"Why, is it valuable?"

"Do you still have it?" I whispered, not daring to get my hopes up.

"No, he hasn't," Ron said. "He's wondering whether he should have asked more money for it."

"More? That wouldn't have been effing difficult. Bleedin gave it away, di'n' I? No choice."

Harry and I exchanged a glance. "What do you mean?"

And I listened in dawning horror as he informed us that Delores Umbridge had taken it.

Time passed, and before we knew it, September first had arrived. Harry had gone out for a little bit, and came back, slamming a newspaper down on the table in front of us.

"Severus Snape confirmed as Hogwarts headmaster," Hermione read, then glanced over at me.

"What?" I hissed, snatching it from her. "Severus Snape, long standing Potions master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was today appointed headmaster in the most important of several staffing changes at the ancient school. Following the resignation of the previous Muggle Studies teacher, Alecto Carrow will take over the post while her brother, Amycus, fills the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts." I stopped. "Damn."

"What?" Hermione looked at me curiously.

"I know those two, the Carrows. They're among the worst of the death eaters. And they're at the school."

"So… that's not good?" Ron said slowly.

"Of course not! They enjoy casting the cruciatus nearly as much as Bellatrix, and that's saying something!"

Ron paled. "Ginny's there."

"She'll be fine," I muttered absentmindedly, rereading the article. "And Burbage didn't resign, they killed her." I paused. "At least my dad's going to be there. He might be able to protect the students some…"

"He'd better," Ron growled. "Or I'll kill him."

"Right. I think we should do it tomorrow," Harry said, changing the subject.

Ron, Hermione, and I stared at him. "Tomorrow?" I repeated. "Are you completely insane?"

"I'm serious, Mia," he said. "I don't think we're going to be much better prepared then we are now even if we skulk around the Ministry entrance for another month. We know everything important. We know that you can't apparate in, only the most senior Ministry members are allowed to connect their homes to the Floo Network, and we know roughly where Umbridge's office is. We know you need those tokens to get in-"

"But we don't have any!" I reminded him.

"If the plan works, we will have."

"There's a lot that could go wrong-" Hermione began.

I sighed. "That could be true no matter how long we wait," I said. "I think Harry's right. Tomorrow's as good a day as any."

"Let's say we go tomorrow," Ron said slowly. "I think only Harry and I should go."

"Don't start that again!" Hermione said. "I thought we'd settled this!"

"We're all going," Harry said. Suddenly, he stood up and walked out of the room. I exchanged a glance with Hermione, and we followed him.

* * *

We had planned breaking into the ministry all that night. We had gotten the horcrux, and had rescued some muggleborns along the way. But even things that you plan perfectly can go wrong, I realized. Yaxley had followed us from the court chambers up to the Atrium. He was catching up to me, even as the other three gripped hands.

"GO!" I screamed, as I felt Yaxley's hand close around my wrist. As his other hand covered my mouth, I watched Harry, Hermione, and Ron disapparate.

**So... there you go. chapter nine. I've been planning that since day one, but... idk. It didn't turn out quite like I wanted it to. I skipped a bunch of stuff, like Harry's vision, and all the details because one, if you've actually read the book, then you already know that, and two, I don't have the patience to type it all out. **

**Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review. **


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

I reacted instantly. I brought one foot down onto his, and I elbowed him in the stomach. He let go for a split second, during which I started to disapparate. "Oh no you don't!" he hissed, grabbing hold of my wrist at the last minute. I desperately tried to get him away, but it was too late. I quickly stunned him out on the doorstep of Grimmauld place, and ran inside.

"Harry, Hermione, Ron!" I cried. "Are you here?"

Hermione appeared at the top of the stairs. "Mia!" she whispered. "You got away!"

I started down the hall. "We have to go," I said. "Grab whatever you need. I've stunned Yaxley, but he's right outside, and I don't know how long he'll be down."

"Why is he right outside?" Ron demanded, from right behind Hermione. "Did you bring him here?"

"I didn't mean to, Ronald. If he hadn't grabbed me, he would have grabbed one of you." He began to say something else, but I cut him off. "We don't have time for this! I _stunned _him!"

"We've pretty much gotten everything," Hermione said, holding up her beaded bag. "We were going to leave if you didn't come back soon. We should just grab as much food as we can, nothing that will spoil, though."

"Someone should go get Phineas Nigellus," I said. "We could use him, you know, for information on the world outside," I told them, when I got a strange look from Ron.

"It's not a bad idea," Harry said, hurrying up the stairs, coming back two minutes later carrying the large frame. During that time, we had thrown cans of food into Hermione's bag, and anything that wouldn't spoil and we should be able to use.

"Ready?" Hermione asked, and the three of us nodded. We stood on the doorstep, what little of it we could, with Yaxely's body lying there, connected hands, and Hermione disapparated. I saw a glimpse of a house, but we apparated again.

A moment later, I found myself staring at the trunk of a rather large tree. "Hermione, where are we?" I asked. "Hermione?" I turned to see her kneeling beside someone in the grass. Who-? Oh no. "What happened?" I asked, rushing to Ron's side.

"Splinched," Hermione whispered. "In my bag… there's a bottle. Essence of Dittany."

I looked around, and spotted the bag a foot away. "Accio bag!" Once in my hand, I pointed my wand in it. "Accio Dittany!" I grabbed it and passed it to Hermione. "Here ." The three of us surrounded Ron, Hermione by his shoulder, Harry on his other side, and me by his feet.

Harry unstoppered the bottle for Hermione, and a second later, ron's shoulder looked half-healed. "I could have done more, but I didn't feel safe doing it. I didn't want to make it worse," she explained. "He's lost so much blood already."

"Hermione, what happened?" Harry asked. "Where are we?"

"We're in the forest behind where the World Cup was held," she said. "I was going to take us to my mom's family's cottage. Nobody goes there anymore, but I saw a death eater there. We couldn't stay there."

"How would a death eater be there?" I asked.

"I don't know," Hermione looked close to tears. "I suppose they're looking for me. It wouldn't have been that hard to find, with the records."

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "If it weren't for me, we could still be at Grimmauld place."

Harry placed his hand over mine. "No. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine." He reached into his pocket and pulled out an eye, one I recognized as Mad Eye Moody's. I gasped. "Umbridge had stuck it to her office door, to spy on people. I couldn't leave it there . . . but that's how they knew there were intruders."

Before either Hermione or I could say anything, Ron let out a groan and opened his eyes. "How do you feel?" I asked him.

"Been better," he croaked. "Where are we?"

"Woods behind where the World Cup was held," she repeated. "I wanted somewhere safe, and this was the first place I thought of."

"Do you reckon we should move on?" Ron asked.

"Let's stay here for now," I said, as Harry opened his mouth to speak. Ron looked relieved, and I knew he didn't really want to go anywhere.

"I'll put up protection spells," Hermione said, standing up. "Harry, Mia, one of you get the tent."

"Tent?"

"In the bag." I raised my eyebrows, as Harry picked up the bag.

"Of course," he muttered. "Accio tent." There was a moment when we both stared at it. "I thought this belonged to that bloke from the ministry."

"He didn't want it back, so Ron's dad said I could borrow it," Hermione explained. "Erecto!" The jumble of canvas became a tent.

"Okay Ron, let's get you inside," I said. With Harry's help, I managed to get him inside the tent and on a bed. "It smells like cats in here," I muttered, and Ron snorted.

"I'll make some tea," Hermione said, hurrying into the kitchen. A few minutes later, the three of us were seated beside Ron.

"So, did you guys get it?" I questioned. They stared at me blankly. "The locket?" I reminded them.

"Oh!" Hermione said, pulling it out of a pocket and handing it to me. I fingered the snake shaped like an S.

"Can't believe that this little thing can hold so much evil," I whispered.

"There isn't any chance someone's destroyed it since Kreacher had it?" asked Ron hopefully. "I mean, are we sure it's still a Horcrux?"

"I think so," said Hermione, taking it back from me and looking at it closely. "There'd be some sign of damage if it had been magically destroyed."

"What do we do with it?" I asked.

"Keep it, I guess, until we figure out how to destroy it," Harry told me, hanging the chain around his neck. "I think we should take it in turns and keep watch outside the tent," he said, standing and stretching. "And we'll need to think about eating soon. You stay there," he added, as Ron made to sit up. And with that, Harry went outside the tent.

**Here you go. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm working on the next chapter for Hero; should be up by the end of the week. Should. Not making any promises. My sister's staying with us, with her daughter. I love my niece and all, but she's a handful. Anyway. **

**Please review. **


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

When I opened my eyes, it was dark, and Harry wasn't in the tent. A glance towards where Ron and Hermione were told me that the both of them were still asleep. I slipped out of the tent and into the night, and saw Harry sitting on the ground, his wand tight in his grip, staring at the trees that surrounded us.

"Harry?" I whispered. He jumped, pointing his wand in my direction before realizing it was me. "Are you alright?" He just shook his head. "Do you want to talk?"

"How do you do it?" he said finally, turning to look at me as I sat down next to him. "Act like that, like you don't care, when your dad's trying to help the Order, and could be killed for it?"

"Thanks for the positive outlook," I said dryly. He started to apologize, but I just shook my head. "Harry, I do it because I have to. Even if my father does get killed, which could very well happen, I'm not going to deny it, I'll still have one thing left. Helping you. I help you, Harry, and you-know-who will be killed, I'm sure of it. You have what it takes to defeat him." I lifted the locket from where it lay on his chest and stared at it for a moment. "This… It is possible, Harry. You know that. All you have to do is destroy this. And we'll help you. You _have help_, don't you ever forget it. Alright?" I let the horcrux fall back. "Hermione and Ron have faith in you. The world has faith in you. _I_ have faith in you."

There was a moment where the two of us simply stared at each other. Then without warning, Harry leaned in and pressed his lips against mine.

Someone coughed, and we quickly pulled apart to see Hermione standing in front of us, arms crossed. I blushed, staring at the ground. What had I done? "I'll take the next watch," she stated. I nodded, and silently stood up, heading back inside the tent. At the opening, I turned back to see Hermione and Harry whispering to each other.

"Was going on?" I heard Ron mutter in his sleep, before he rolled over. I crawled into my bunk and stared up at the ceiling of the tent. What the hell had I done that for? Yes, he had kissed me first, but I had kissed him back. Why?

A few minutes later, Hermione stormed back in, took one look at me, scoffed, and turned away. I raised my eyebrows, a bit curious, but I said nothing.

The next day, we made no mention of what had happened the night before. Harry went out to get us some food, only to return empty handed and pale.

"Dementors," he panted. "I tried to make a patronus, but I couldn't…"

I barely listened as Ron pitched a fit, instead choosing to scan through one of the books Hermione had brought with us.

"Of course!" Hermione's voice made me jump and look up, startled. "Harry, give me the locket! Come on! The Horcrux, Harry, you're still wearing it!"

**Okay, this is VERY short and I know that. I've had a lot of crap going on, so I haven't had time to write. But I thought of you guys, plus today's a friend's birthday. Happy birthday Kat!**

**Also, don't forget to review this chapter! Thanks, and bye!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Here's the chapter, as promised. Again, I am SOOO sorry.**

"I still reckon he might have hidden something at Hogwarts." I glanced up from the book I was reading about dark hexes and their countercurses, to where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were arguing, _again_. I usually kept quiet in times like these, it was easier.

"But Dumbledore would have found it, Harry!" This was Hermione.

"Dumbledore said in front of me that he never assumed he knew all of Hogwarts's secrets. I'm telling you, if there was one place Vol-"

"Harry!" I said sharply.

"YOU-KNOW-WHO THEN!" he roared at me.

"Don't you raise your voice at me, Harry James Potter. I am your wife," I snapped. "Whether you like it or not, I deserve at least some of your respect!"

"If there was one place that was really important to you-know-who, it was Hogwarts!"

"Harry might be right," I interrupted, as Ron opened his mouth to speak, noting he had the horcrux around his neck and wouldn't be logical. "The dark lord _did_ return to Hogwarts, remember?"

"But Dumbledore thought he wanted to try and find something, not leave it," Hermione said. "Besides, he didn't get the job. SO he never got a chance to find a founder'd object there and hide it in the school."

"Fine," Harry grumbled. "Forget Hogwarts."

Time passed, during which Harry made every effort possible not to be left in the same room with me alone. It irritated me. After all, _he_ was the one that kissed _me._ Not the other way around.

Hermione and Ron also avoided me as much as they could. This made my time very lonely. But I had promised my father I would help them, and help them I would, no matter what they thought of me. .

"My mother can make good food appear out of thin air." Ron announced one night, while we were staying in Wales. I rolled my eyes, and ignored them, knowing this same argument was a repeater, until Harry suddenly stood up, telling them to shut up. I looked up, curious.

"How can you side with him, he hardly ever does the cook-"

"Hermione, be quiet, I can hear someone!"

I could feel my heart pound as I silently stood up and made my way over to Harry's side. After several moments, Hermione pulled flesh colored... things... out of her bag. I looked at them, confused.

"Extendable ears," Hermione whispered, putting one in her ear. I did the same. The conversation didn't mean anything to me, until they mentioned my father.

"So is Severus Snape, though he does not know it," said Griphook. I froze, and I could feel Harry's gaze on me.

"Didn't you hear about that, Ted?" asked Dirk. "About the kids who tried to steal Gryffindor's sword out of Snape's office at Hogwarts?" I didn't move, not even to breath.

"Never heard a word," said Ted, "Not in the Prophet, was it?"

"Hardly," chortled Dirk. "Griphook here told me, he heard about it from Bill Weasley who works for the bank. One of the kids who tried to take the sword was Bill's younger sister."

I glanced towards the others. Ron had gone white and Hermione wasn't far behind. Harry caught my eye.

"She and a couple of friends got into Snape's office and smashed open the glass case where he was apparently keeping the sword. Snape caught them as they were trying to smuggle it down the staircase."

"Ah, God bless 'em," said Ted. "What did they think, that they'd be able to use the sword on You-Know-Who? Or on Snape himself?

"Well, whatever they thought they were going to do with it, Snape decided the sword wasn't safe where it was," said Dirk. "Couple of days later, once he'd got the say-so from You-Know-Who, I imagine, he sent it down to London to be kept in Gringotts instead."

The goblins started to laugh again.

"I'm still not seeing the joke," said Ted.

"It's a fake," rasped Griphook.

"The sword of Gryffindor!"

"Oh yes. It is a copy—en excellent copy, it is true—but it was Wizard-made. The original was forged centuries ago by goblins and had certain properties only goblin-made armor possesses. Wherever the genuine sword of Gryffindor is, it is not in a vault at Gringotts bank." I swallowed. If the dark lord ever found out that the sword was a fake... my father would be the one punished.

"I see," said Ted. "And I take it you didn't bother telling the Death Eaters this/'

"I saw no reason to trouble them with the information," said Griphook smugly, and now Ted and Dean joined in Gornuk and Dirk's laughter.

"What happened to Ginny and all the others? The ones who tried to steal it?"

"Oh, they were punished, and cruelly," said Griphook indifferently.

"They're okay, though?" asked Ted quickly, "I mean, the Weasleys don't need any more of their kids injured, do they?"

"They suffered no serious injury, as far as I am aware," said Griphook.

"Lucky for them," said Ted. "With Snape's track record I suppose we should just be glad they're still alive."

"You believe that story, then, do you, Ted?" asked Dirk." You believe Snape killed Dumbledore?

"Course I do," said Ted. "You're not going to sit there and tell me you think Potter had anything to do with it?"

"Hard to know what to believe these days," muttered Dirk.

"I know Harry Potter," said Dean. "And I reckon he's the real thing—the Chosen One, or whatever you want to call it." I pulled the extendable ear out, and stood there, my heart pounding. I knew they would be safe; my father wouldn't punish them too harshly. Now, if it had been the Carrows who caught them, I was sure they would have been tortured.

"Ginny—the sword—" Harry finally whispered, once they had left.

"I know!" said Hermione.

She lunged for the tiny beaded bag, this time sinking her arm in it right up to the armpit.

"Here . . . we . . . are . . ." she said between gritted teeth, and she pulled at something that was evidently in the depths of the bag. Slowly the edge of an ornate picture frame came into sight. I hurried to help her. As we lifted the empty portrait of Phineas Nigellus free of Hermione's bag, she kept her wand pointing at it, ready to cast a spell at any moment.

"If somebody swapped the real sword for the face while it was in Dumbledore's office," she panted, as we propped the painting against the side of the tent, "Phineas Nigellus would have seen it happen, he hangs right beside the case!"

"Unless he was asleep," I whispered as Hermione knelt down in front of the empty canvas, her wand directed at its center, cleared her throat, then said:

"Er—Phineas? Phineas Nigellus?" Nothing happened. "Phineas Nigellus?" said Hermione again. "Professor Black? Please could we talk to you? Please?"

"'Please' always helps," said a cold, snide voice, and Phineas Nigellus slid into his portrait. At one, Hermione cried:

"Obscura!"

A black blindfold appeared over Phineas Nigellus's clever, dark eyes, causing him to bump into the frame and shriek with pain.

"What—how dare—what are you—?"

"I'm very sorry, Professor Black," said Hermione, "but it's a necessary precaution!"

"remove this foul addition at once! Remove it, I say! You are ruining a great work of art! Where am I? What is going on?"

"Never mind where we are," said Harry, and Phineas Nigellus froze.

"Can that possible be the voice of the elusive Mr. Potter?"

"Maybe," said Harry.

"We've got a couple of questions to ask you—about the sword of Gryffindor," I said.

"Ah," said Phineas Nigellus, "yes. That silly girl acted most unwisely there—"

"Shut up about my sister," said Ron.

"Who else is here?" he asked, turning his head from side to side. "Your tone displeases me! The girl and her friends were foolhardily in the extreme. Thieving from the headmaster."

"They weren't thieving," said Harry. "That sword isn't Snape's."

"It belongs to Professor Snape's school," said Phineas Nigellus. "Exactly what claim did the Weasley girl have upon it? She deserved her punishment, as did the idiot Longbottom and the Lovegood oddity!"

"Neville is not an idiot and Luna is not an oddity!" said Hermione.

"Where am I?" repeated Phineas Nigellus, starting to wrestle with the blindfold again. "Where have you brought me? Why have you removed me from the house of my forebears?"

"never mind that! How did Snape punish Ginny, Neville, and Luna?" asked Harry urgently.

"Professor Snape sent them into the Forbidden Forest, to do some work for the oaf, Hagrid."

"Hagrid's not an oaf!" said Hermione shrilly.

"I told you that they would be fine with my father there," I whispered, but Phineas NIgellus heard me.

"Your father, girl?"

"What we really wanted to know, Professor Black, is whether anyone else has, um, taken out the sword at all? Maybe it's been taken away for cleaning—or something!" Hermione interrupted. Phineas Nigellus paused again in his struggles to free his eyes and sniggered.

"Muggle-born," he said, "Goblin-made armor does not require cleaning, simple girl. Goblin's silver repels mundane dirt, imbibing only that which strengthens it."

"Don't call Hermione simple," said Harry.

"I grow weary of contradiction," said Phineas Nigellus. "perhaps it is time for me to return to the headmaster's office?"

"Dumbledore! Can't you bring us Dumbledore?"

"I beg your pardon?" asked Phineas Nigellus.

"Professor Dumbledore's portrait—couldn't you bring him along, here, in yours?"

"Evidently it is not only Muggle-borns who are ignorant, Potter. The portraits of Hogwarts may commune with each other, but they cannot travel outside of the castle except to visit a painting of themselves elsewhere. Dumbledore cannot come here with me, and after the treatment I have received at your hands, I can assure you that I will not be making a return visit!"

"Professor Black," said Hermione, "couldn't you just tell us, please, when was the last time the sword was taken out of its case? Before Ginny took it out, I mean?" Phineas snorted impatiently.

"I believe that the last time I saw the sword of Gryffindor leave its case was when Professor Dumbledore used it to break open a ring."

Hermione, Harry and I stared at each other openmouthed, as the ex headmaster finally made his way out of the portrait.

Well, good night to you,"

"Wait! Have you told Snape you saw this?"

"Professor Snape has more important things on his mind that the many eccentricities of Albus Dumbledore. Good-bye, Potter!" And with that, he vanished completely, leaving behind him nothing but his murky backdrop.

"Harry!" Hermione cried.

"I know!" Harry shouted

"The sword can destroy Horcruxes! Goblin-made blades imbibe only that which strengthens them—Harry, that sword's impregnated with basilisk venom!"

"And Dumbledore didn't give it to me because he still needed it, he wanted to use it on the locket—"

"—and he must have realized they wouldn't let you have it if he put it in his will—"

"—so he made a copy—"

"—and put a fake in the glass case—"

"—and he left the real one—where?"

I sat quietly, listening. "Think," I said. "Where would Dumbledore have left it?"

"Not at Hogwarts," said Harry, resuming his pacing.

"Somewhere in Hogsmeade?" suggested Hermione.

"The Shrieking Shack?" said Harry. "Nobody ever goes in there."

"But Snape knows how to get in, wouldn't that be a bit risky?"

"Dumbledore trusted Snape," Harry reminded her.

"He would have left the sword somewhere where my father would know, I think," I said. "If the dark lord finds out that the sword is a fake, can you imagine how angry he'll be? And he'll take it out on my father. I don't know if my father knows the sword is a fake or not, but let's go with he does. SO he would have left it somewhere my father can get to it."

"What d'you reckon, Ron? Ron?" Harry asked, looking around.

"Oh, remembered me, have you?" Ron snorted.

"What?"

"You two carry on. Don't let me spoil your fun."

Harry glanced at Hermione and me. I simply shrugged. They knew Ron better than I did.

"What's the problem?" asked Harry.

"Problem? There's no problem," said Ron, still refusing to look at Harry. "Not according to you, anyways."

"Well, you've obviously got a problem," said Harry. "Spit it out, will you?"

"All right, I'll spit it out. Don't expect me to skip up and down the tent because there's some other damn thing we've got to find. Just add it to the list of stuff you don't know."

"I don't know?" repeated Harry. "I don't know?"

"It's not like I'm not having the time of my life here," said Ron, "you know, with my arm mangled and nothing to eat and freezing my backside off every night. I just hoped, you know, after we'd been running round a few weeks, we'd have achieved something."

"Ron," Hermione said, but in such a quiet voice that Ron could pretend not to have heard it over the loud tattoo the rain was beating on the tent.

"I thought you knew what you'd signed up for," said Harry.

"Yeah, I thought I did too."

"So what part of it isn't living up to your expectations?" asked Harry. Anger was coming to his defense now. "Did you think we'd be staying in five-star hotels? Finding a Horcrux every other day? Did you think you'd be back to Mummy by Christmas?"

"We thought you knew what you were doing!" shouted Ron, standing up, and his words Harry like scalding knives. "We thought Dumbledore had told you what to do, we thought you had a real plan!"

"Ron!" said Hermione, this time clearly audible over the rain thundering on the tent roof, but again, he ignored her.

"Well, sorry to let you down," said Harry, his voice quite calm even though he felt hollow, inadequate. "I've been straight with you from the start. I told you everything Dumbledore told me. And in the case you haven't noticed, we've found one Horcrux—"

"Yeah, and we're about as near getting rid of it as we are to finding the rest of them—nowhere effing near in other words."

"Take off the locket," I said finally. "You wouldn't be acting this way if you didn't have it on."

"Yeah, he would," said Harry,. "D'you think I haven't noticed the two of you whispering behind my back? D'you think I didn't guess you were thinking this stuff?

"Harry, we weren't—"

"Don't lie!" Ron hurled at her. "You said it too, you said that _she _was changing him, you said you were disappointed, you said you'd thought he had a bit more to go on than—"

"I didn't say it like that—Harry, I didn't!" she cried.

"So why are you still here?" Harry asked Ron.

"Search me," said Ron.

"Go home then," said Harry.

"Yeah, maybe I will!" shouted Ron, and he took several steps toward Harry, who did not back away. "Didn't you hear what they said about my sister? But you don't give a rat's fart, do you, it's only the Forbidden Forest, Harry I've-Faced-Worse Potter doesn't care what happened to her in there—well, I do, all right, giant spiders and mental stuff—"

"I was only saying—she was with the others, they were with Hagrid—"

"Hagrid wouldn't let anything happen to them!" I snapped. "You know Hagrid!"

"Yeah, I get it, you don't care! But I really thought Harry might've, six years of friendship and all that. And what about the rest of my family, 'the Weasleys don't need another kid injured,' did you hear that?"

"Yeah, I—"

"Not bothered what it meant, though?"

"Ron!" Hermione said. "I don't think it means anything new has happened, anything we don't know about; think, Ron, Bill's already scared, plenty of people must have seen that George has lost an ear by now, and you're supposed to be on your deathbed with spattergroit, I'm sure that's all he meant—"

"Oh, you're sure, are you? Right then, well, I won't bother myself about them. It's all right for you, isn't it, with your parents safely out of the way—"

"My parents are dead!" Harry bellowed.

"And mine could be going the same way!" yelled Ron.

"You're not the only one with family in danger," I hissed. "Or have you forgotten? My father is out there, fighting for _your_selfish arse, and you don't give a damn. Well let me tell you something, Ronald Weasley. This world does not revolve around you. You agreed to come on this mission. You knew what was at stake here. You knew that there would be danger. No matter whether you're with us, or with your family, _there is danger! _The dark lord is not a kind man, not even to his followers. I can't count on my hands how many times my father's come home from a meeting injured, yet he kept on doing what he's done for years. I think you could do the same, don't you? You're hungry, so _what?_ At least you get fed nearly every day! If you were in the death eaters hands, you wouldn't even get the _chance _to be would have been killed on sight. So leave. If you really want to. But you won't last out there."

"How do you know?" He snapped, but he sounded calmer. "You don't know me."

"No. I don't. But I know them. They won't rest until the four of us are dead." Silence, except for the rain pattering on the roof of the tent, filled the room. Until Ron turned to Hermione.

"Are you coming or are you staying?"

I sighed, my attempt having failed. Hermione looked confused. "Ron, we can't just leave!" she squeaked. "We... we promised!"

"Well I'm leaving, whether you decide to come or not!" Ron snapped, starting out of the tent.

"Harry..." Hermione whispered. "I'm so sorry... but I have to go with him..." There was a moment of silence, during which the four of us stared at each other. "It's... it's the law..." she quickly gave Harry a hug, turned to me, gave me a small smile through her tears, and followed Ron out, leaving Harry and I alone in the tent. There was a crack a moment later. They were gone.

**I started writing the next chapter and realized it's too different with Ron gone, so I rewrote the ending of this one. Sorry. This chapter is extremely long, so I hope you enjoyed it and forgave me :)**


	14. Chapter 13

"They left," Harry muttered, staring at the tent opening. "They… they actually left…" I didn't respond, picking up the horcrux Ron had taken off before storming out, tracing the serpentine S with my finger. I closed my hand around it, feeling angry. How could Ron just abandon Harry like that? I understood Hermione leaving; she had to, to prevent the two of them from going to Azkaban. But Ron?

Time passed. We waited by the riverbank for a couple of days, Harry wishing his two best friends would return, but we soon had no choice but to move on.

And we kept moving, afraid to stay in one place too long, afraid of being found.

As the weather became colder, Harry and I became closer. It was one day, in early November, when we were sitting inside the tent by a fire, that I brought up our tentative relationship.

"Um, Harry?" He glanced up from the book he was reading. "I was… uh… I was wondering how you feel about me. How you really feel about me."

"What?" the boy-who-lived, my husband, looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean… we're married, Harry. We have been since July. That's four months, and you haven't spoken to me hardly at all. Since… well… Since Ron and Hermione left, you've talked to me more, but I still don't know what you feel about me."

"Mia-"

"You don't have to answer me if you don't want to, Harry," I said quickly. "I was just wondering…"

"I like you, Mia. Actually, I like you a lot. But you're Snape's daughter."

"That's it then?" I whispered. "You like me, but you won't do anything because of my father?"

I had stood up and started to move into the other room when he grabbed my arm. "No, Mia, that' snot what I meant." He sighed. "Since I started Hogwarts, your dad hasn't done anything other than criticize me and the other Gryffindors. He's never showed any interest in me. And you're… you were just like him." I opened my mouth to speak, but he held up a hand. "But these last couple of months… I don't know. You're different then I thought you were. You could've left at any time, leaving me to you-know-who's hands, but you haven't. You stayed, even when my closest friends didn't. And I think… I don't really know, since I've never been in love before… but I think I might love you." I stood there, my heart pounding. Before I could stop myself, before I could even think about it, I pressed my lips to his. We stood like this for a moment, before he deepened the kiss.

We were officially together. Not boyfriend/girlfriend, being married we skipped that stage. But we acknowledged our relationship. While I wasn't sure whether I was in love with Harry or not, I knew I did have feelings for him. And the kisses were amazing.

It was about a month later. The two of us were sitting in the tent, Harry with the horcrux and me with one of my father's books, when he cleared his throat. "Um, Mia?"

"Hm?" I glanced up from the page on symbols, having just come across the one that I recognized Luna's father had worn at the wedding several months before.

"I've been thinking… I… I want to go to Godric's Hollow."

I closed the book , my finger stuck in the page. "Why?" I said sharply. "Do you think there might be a horcrux there?"

"Well, no. But I think-"

"Harry," I said, this time more gently. "I promise you, when the war is all over, we can go to visit your parents. It's just… My father mentioned something once, before our wedding. He said that Snakeman will want you to go there, and I'm sure there'd be a trap there. It's too risky."

"It's okay," Harry muttered, turning away. "I understand."

"Okay," I said finally. "But just so you know, I think this is a really bad idea."

**It's short, but the last one was long, so they even out, lol. Hope you enjoyed, and please leave me a review telling me what you thought! And don't forget to check out Life lessons rewrite, cuz it's going to be much better than the original. **


	15. Chapter 14

**I know I said I was going to revise the chapters, but.. I had an idea and went with it. I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's just kinda a backstory on Mia, but I hope you like it just the same. I can't find my copy of DH, so until I do, I can't really continue this.**

**By the way, I have good news! It's been like two years since I've worked on any of these stories, but.. I'm engaged ! I won't be getting married for some time ( he has health issues to work through and I have college) but he's truly an amazing person. Anyway. ON TO THE STORY!**

Chapter Fourteen

My mother and father were twenty one when I was born, and they were both serving the Dark Lord at the time of my birth. Shortly after, however, my father turned to Dumbledore for help. After Voldemort's supposed death, my mother left us, sending me an owl for my birthday and Christmas. It was really my father who raised me, teaching me potions early on. At least, the less dangerous ones. Therefore, when it came time for me to start school, I was ahead, in that one class.

I hated attending Hogwarts, for the six years I was there. I was in Slytherin, which in itself wouldn't have been too bad, but I had to put up with Pansy Parkinson, who's main goal in life was to marry Draco Malfoy and have lots of babies with him. Granted, she was raised that way. And you might think that having a parent for a professor would be a good thing, that it would help you keep out of trouble. Nope. If anything, I got into more trouble then the other students in my year because the teachers expected better from me.

I had no true friends, not like Ron and Hermione were for Harry. I had acquaintances, sure, a Ravenclaw here and there, and Theodore Nott. But they weren't people I could trust completely, and after the Dark Lord's return, the ravenclaws kept to themselves, and Theodore changed. I didn't blame him; both of our fathers had joined the death eaters, but he didn't want anything to do with his father, and as everybody could see, I was still as close to mine as ever.

That's why, when Dumbledore wanted my father to kill him, they told me about the plan. I guess Dumbledore didn't want me thinking the worst of the person I was closest to. And Dumbledore knew my father had told me about his job for the order, the spying he did and the torture he went through. My potions lessons from my childhood continued, except they were more advanced and I was also learning defense too. He taught me spells beyond what students at Hogwarts learned; he taught me spells he invented. And he also taught me the counter curse for an extremely nasty spell; sectumsempra. There was no doubt in anybody's mind that, on my seventeenth birthday, I was to join the Order of the Phoenix. I had even been going to some of the meetings, I had seen Voldemort face to face.

Until the day the death eaters managed to get into the castle. I'd been asleep when they showed up, and when I woke up, I knew something was wrong. I'd fallen asleep the night before in my father's quarters, and when I woke up, he wasn't there. I hurried out, only to find the battle over, and my father nowhere to be seen.

I found out about the death of Albus Dumbledore the next morning. It was announced at breakfast, along with my father's role and his flight from the castle. This revelation, with nobody knowing the truth, led to me becoming an outcast. Harry and the rest of them that knew wouldn't even look at me, and McGonagall, the day of the funeral, took me aside and told me to stay in my room and not to come. She informed me that it was for the best, but I could see the look in her eyes, and I knew she no longer trusted me.

And it was only days later that the marriage law hit, and we were given six weeks to get married to the person we were partnered with. There was no reason for the law, other than Voldemort wanting certain people on his side, but the law became magic bound. We had no choice. This is, of course, where the story begins.

**Sorry it's so short, but like I said, I can't find my copy of DH and I'm too broke to buy a new one..**


End file.
